Ever since I was young (Harvest Moon 64 on Nintendo 64, anyone??), I have always enjoyed the slow-paced and relaxing gameplay of farming games. There’s truly nothing cozier than planting a garden full of seasonal crops, tending to your adorable animals, and befriending the local townies. Steam, one of the most popular gaming platforms, offers a wide variety of farming games that cater to different preferences and play styles. In this article, I will be discussing the best Steam farming games right now (old and new!).
What are Farming Games/Farming Sims?
Farming games are essentially simulation games that allow players to manage and cultivate their own farm, raise animals, grow crops, decorate and upgrade their home, romance the local townsfolks, and interact with the world around them in various ways.
Steam farming games typically involve a mix of farming tasks, resource management, and social interactions. Players must manage their time wisely, as they need to balance farming tasks with other activities like socializing with NPCs or exploring the game world. Often, a key element is that players must manage their resources effectively, as they need to grow crops, raise animals, and maintain their farm facilities.
One of the biggest advantages of Steam farming games is their accessibility. These games can be played on any basic PC, which means that players don’t need to invest in expensive gaming consoles to enjoy the experience. Additionally, these games are available on the Steam platform, which offers a vast library of games and a convenient way to purchase and download them.
13 Best Steam Farming Games
As a Certified Cozy Gaming Expert (TM), I have researched and played various farming games that are available on Steam right now. Here are the top Steam farming games that I recommend:
1. Stardew Valley – Best overall farming sim
Stardew Valley is a classic farming game that has been around for a while and continues to be a favorite among gamers. It has a charming pixel art style and offers a relaxing gameplay experience.
Players can farm, mine, fish, and explore the town and its inhabitants. The game also has a multiplayer mode, allowing players to farm together with friends. With thousands of hours logged in Stardew Valley across all platforms it was released on, I can confidently say this is one of my everlasting faves.
2. Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town – Best for a cutsie art style
Story of Seasons (made by the original team behind Harvest Moon) is another popular farming game that offers a mix of farming, socializing, and adventure. Players can grow crops, raise animals, and interact with the town’s residents.
The game has a charming art style and a relaxing soundtrack, making it a great choice for those looking for a laid-back gaming experience. There are tons of Story of Seasons games to pick from but I settled on this one as my favorite and a great entry-point into the franchise for new players.
Note: There are newer Story of Seasons games on the market now but this one remains my favorite, which is why it’s recommended here.
3. Farming Simulator 22 – Best farming sim for realism
Farming Simulator 22 is a realistic farming simulator that offers a vast open-world environment and a wide range of vehicles and equipment. Players can farm, harvest, and sell their crops, as well as raise animals and manage their farm.
The game also offers multiplayer mode, allowing players to work together on their farms. I’m going to be honest, I’ve never been a huge Farming Simulator fanatic. But it’s such a huge, well-developed franchise that I would be amiss to not include it here.
4. My Time at Portia – Best farm sim for crafting
My Time at Sandrock is a crafting game that offers a unique post-apocalyptic setting. Players can mine, build, and explore the world while building relationships with the town’s residents. You can opt to have barns, coops, and crops if you want to, making it a great Stardew Valley alternative.
The game also offers a wide range of crafting options, allowing players to create various items and upgrades for their farm and equipment. A little glitchy, but absolutely full of heart, My Time at Sandrock delivers a time-tested formula with a few unique twists!
Unconvinced? Read my My Time at Sandrock review.
5. Coral Island – Best romance options
Coral Island is a new farming game that offers a tropical island setting and a wide range of activities. Players can farm, fish, mine, and explore the island, as well as build relationships with the town’s residents.
The game also offers a unique crafting system, allowing players to create various items and upgrades for their farm and equipment. The excellent character design and (sweating) assortment of beautiful bachelors caused gamers to affectionately nickname Coral Island the “bisexual panic game.”
Note: Coral Island is in Early Access, so there may be some technical bugs and some planned features haven’t been added in yet.
6. Slime Rancher 2 – Best first-person farming sim
Slime Rancher 2 is a unique farming game that offers a colorful and charming world filled with adorable slimes. Players can farm, feed, and raise their slimes, as well as explore the world and discover new slime species.
The game also offers a relaxed and fun gameplay experience, making it a great choice for those looking for a light-hearted farming game. This is a rare first-person farming sim, which can be a shock to more “traditional” farming sim players. With a goofy, sometimes hectic vibe, Slime Rancher stands out as a particularly unique game in this space.
7. Wylde Flowers – Best for inclusivity
Step into the shoes of Tara, a newcomer to a charming rural island, where she embarks on a journey to assist her grandmother and manage the family farm. Immerse yourself in the lives of a vibrant, fully voiced ensemble of characters, each with captivating histories—fostering friendships and the possibility of romance along the way!
Embrace the tranquil rhythms of countryside living as you nurture crops, tend to animals, engage in fishing, crafting, and more during the daylight hours. As night falls, embrace your inner witch, mastering the art of broomstick flight, potion brewing, weather manipulation, seasonal control, and even the enchanting ability to transform into a cat! This one has a special place in my heart because the potion-mixing added a super fun element to the game.
8. Sun Haven – Best skill tree/levelling mechanic
Sun Haven is a relaxing and immersive farming simulation game that invites players to build and manage their dream farm in a vibrant and picturesque world. Offering a blend of farming, crafting, and relationship-building, players can cultivate crops, raise animals, mine resources, and interact with the charming inhabitants of the town.
With its emphasis on creativity, exploration, and personalization, Sun Haven provides a tranquil escape where players can shape their land, form connections, and uncover the secrets of the surrounding environment. Though a bit linear at times, Sun Haven more than makes up for it with their dynamic skill levelling system, which adds a fun twist to the well-worn genre.
9. Rune Factory 4 – Best for flexible difficulty levels
Rune Factory 4 is a captivating game series that seamlessly blends the enchanting elements of fantasy RPGs with the nurturing mechanics of farming simulations. Players assume the role of protagonists tasked with revitalizing a magical land through farming, forging relationships, and embarking on epic adventures.
Beyond cultivating crops and raising animals, players can explore dungeons, battle monsters, and uncover mysteries, all while forming meaningful connections with the diverse characters inhabiting the game world. With its rich storytelling, diverse gameplay mechanics, and a harmonious fusion of genres, Rune Factory offers an engaging and immersive gaming experience.
Note: Rune Factory 5 is already out, but I haven’t played it yet so I didn’t want to lead you astray bu adding it to my list. I hope to update this list if the new game surpasses this one!
10. Harvestella – Best main storyline
Harvestella is a farming sim with plenty of storylines, side-quests, cooking, and crafting. It most reminds me of the Rune Factory series, where combat and adventure are required to progress the main story.
It has a deep, rich storyline that will take up most of your time, with farming being more of a support element by helping you make money for upgrades and cook food for stamina and power boosts. Still, I really enjoyed this game and if you’re a fan of the Rune Factory series at all, I highly recommend giving it a try.
11. Roots of Pacha – Best for shaking things up
Roots of Pacha is a cooperative life simulation game that immerses players in a prehistoric world where they collaboratively build and nurture a tribe while exploring the wonders of early human civilization. Set in a beautifully hand-painted environment, players engage in activities like farming, crafting, hunting, and fishing, all while cultivating their tribe’s customs and relationships.
With a focus on teamwork and creativity, the game provides a unique blend of historical authenticity and imaginative gameplay, enabling players to experience the challenges and triumphs of primitive society in a visually captivating and socially interactive manner. Roots of Pacha is brand now and so it remains a bit feature-lite but it has a ton of potential. It really shakes things up with its take on “currency” (points received by helping your tribe) and “invention” (you must unlock new items as inventions dreamed up by friendly side characters).
12. Summer in Mara – Best for exploration
Summer in Mara is a captivating adventure and farming simulation game that invites players to embody Koa, a young girl exploring a vibrant oceanic world filled with islands to discover and secrets to unravel. Balancing farming, crafting, and exploration, players nurture their own island, grow crops, and befriend diverse characters while sailing the seas on their own boat.
As Koa, players undertake quests, tackle challenges, and uncover the mysteries of the past, all set against a backdrop of breathtaking art and a soothing atmosphere that captures the essence of a tropical paradise.
13. Research Story – Best for puzzle-lovers
Research Story is a farming sim with a twist. While you still raise crops and animals and befriend folks around town, you are doing it all in the name of research for something called the Violet Archives! You’ll play as a nature researcher caring for a farm and garden for the sake of learning more about each plant. It is in early access as of 2023 but has maintained a Very Positive rating on Steam regardless.
The character and animal sprites are adorable. And the hand-drawn portraits next to dialogue boxes boast a unique and compelling style. You’ll also have a new challenge of arranging your farm according to what each plant requires to thrive. Reviews report that the game is a little feature-lite and buggy right now but I think it’s important to support developers in the early stages so that they can afford to keep making their games great!
Special Mention! Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin
While you do technically do some farming in Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, I struggle to call it a farming sim per se. The only crop you harvest is rice and there are no animals, farm customization, or romanceable characters. But it really is a special game.
Rather than focusing on point-and-click harvesting mechanics, the game has a series of controls for the different stages of planting—from planting, to watering (flooding and release), to harvesting, drying, soaking, and hulling. I honestly haven’t seen anything like it where it really teaches you the stages of farming a particular crop. I found it super interesting and I hope you do, too.
Conclusion
These are my picks for the best farming sims on Steam, but there are plenty of others available. Keep an eye out here for more recommendations, lists, and reviews for farming sims and cozy games in general. I have more content coming weekly!
Stay cozy, gamers!
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